Because the Sky is There
by Euregatto
Summary: The day Chizuru was almost killed by a Hollow was the day her entire world flipped upside down – she's broken and defeated, and to make matters worse the Hollow left behind a set of dangerous powers at her disposal. Lucky for her the mysterious man who saved her can give her help… you know, assuming they don't kill each other first. Grimmjow/Chizuru crackpairing fic


**A/N**: This story is my last hoorah before I officially call it quits. I don't know when I'll be back or if I'll even come back at all, but I hope this story satisfies as a good-bye gift to everyone out there who follows my stories and reviews!

**Warning**: Some language on Grimmjow's part, mild violence typical of Bleach (which I assume you can handle if you watch/read the series), and for all of the crazy antics that will ensue. Some ooc-ness, since this story is a crackpairing fic, but what'd you expect? I'm Eure.

**_Please remember to review!_**

* * *

**~ * BECAUSE THE SKY IS THERE** *** ~**

**Chapter 1: **Goodbye Blue Skies

* * *

It was raining outside.

It wasn't _raining_ like a normal drizzle or a regular downpour - no, instead it was a tempest on the verge of forming a hurricane, where raindrops the size of tires smashed against windows and sidewalks relentlessly; where the wind was reaching fifty miles an hour; where the clouds were depressed blankets that settled eerily across the sky. Lonesome figures who were caught in the brutal beat down risked getting themselves an unhealthy dose of leukemia, or something much, much worse. Unfortunately only one person had gotten caught in the cataclysm with no chance of escape.

Chizuru Honsho was surprised she hadn't died from too many knocks on the head from Tatsuki anyway. Perhaps the illness from the weather was the most sympathetic way to go. But it was also the worst way to go. Water had long since soaked into her sweater and drenched her skirt, forcing her clothes to superglue themselves to her slender frame. Her dull cerise hair was plastered to the depressions of her temples and nape of her neck, slick bangs jabbing into her weary eyes.

Her footfalls overlapped the hissing of the creature stalking her shadow.

Her shoes slapped into puddles, spraying muck in multiple directions – including up onto her already soaking skirt. A string of colorful curses slipped through her lips. She had concluded that karma wasn't her best friend, and at this point if a black cat crossed her path it would be a blessing. She was wet, irritated, weak and shivering, and only had one thing on her mind: _dinner_.

Next time she would heed the news's storm warnings and bring an umbrella.

_"Chizuru! Stop!"_

Lights illuminating from the nearby houses ignited the darkness, guiding her towards the sounds of rough housing and laughter. She paused for a moment to wipe away the perspiration from her glasses (a result of both her previous crying and the thunderstorm) so she could see the road clearer.

_"What the hell is wrong with you?!"_

Chizuru shuddered as Tatsuki's shout reverberated in the back of her mind. She had been haunted by that remark since lunch, when her friend scolded her for harassing Orihime while she was upset. Upset about what, Chizuru wasn't sure, but a single gesture snowballed into a huge argument. The result? She was now walking home by herself. In the rain. Pissed. Hurt. About to cry again. On the verge of screaming.

_"Why do you always have to act like this?!"_

_Shut up._

Chizuru bit back a sob. The anger was bubbling to the surface and her guilt was eating away her insides like acid. No one had snapped at her like that before – she didn't understand why it was such a big deal now over any other time. And then to not tell her what Orihime was so upset about? That agitated her more than anything.

_Stupid stupid stupid-_

"IDIOT!" She snapped at the air, "ABSOLUTELY DUMB!"

It was official – she was going to arrive home, eat, sleep, make up an excuse for being sick, and never go to school again. Ever. How could she show her face in class after the way she acted? She had possibly hurt one of the few friends she still had left in this world (an obvious result of her erring behavior). Orihime Inoue was a forgiving person, thankfully, but as for her overprotective best friend Tatsuki, not so much.

**Rrrrrr.**

A strange growling echoed out from behind her, distracting her from her current train of thoughts. Whatever it was it sounded big – and certainly not like any animal she knew. She gradually turned to face the monster as it rose up on its massive hind legs; its masked jaws split open to reveal rows of jagged teeth, and within the abyssal darkness of its mouth an orb of crimson energy formed. Chizuru knew instinctively she had four seconds to respond.

_It's a Hollow._

_Run!_

She reflexively jumped to the side as the blast obliterated the spot where she had been only a second before. Chunks of asphalt exploded in every direction; one chunk slammed into the girl's chest, smashing a handful of her ribs and slamming her against a wall. Her skull cracked against the rigid brick.

She hit the ground and everything went black.

For several minutes it felt like she was floating, suspended into a dark abyss, sinking into the depths of an endless ocean. Her lungs were heavy, but she didn't need to breathe, or see, or move. She was, for the moment, both at peace and thoroughly stunned. The blackness engulfing defied and defined her, tore her apart and healed her wounds, suffocated her and gave her breath.

_Wake up._

_Please, wake up._

_You have to run._

**_You have to get away_**_._

Chizuru awoke gasping for air when she felt her body being lifted from its fallen position on the asphalt. Her brain was numb and warmth trickled down the back of her neck, seeping from the wound in her head. She gradually stirred against her own will and her violet eyes wandered up to meet a sinister, crimson glare.

"HOLD STILL. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN MY PREY ISN'T SUBMISSIVE."

She struggled in the Hollow's clawed grasp, groaning out of both fear and defiance. "N-no… I w-won't let you…" Her words failed her as a tingling sensation racked her being, forcing her throat to close up and reopen again.

"HAHAHA, PATHETIC. BUT I MUST GIVE YOU CREDIT, YOU HAVE SPIRIT." His jagged mouth split open and his thick, spike-ridden tongue slithered out of the darkness. "IT'LL ONLY MAKE YOU THAT MUCH SWEETER." He ran it up her torso to the crevice of her right shoulder and neck, piercing through layers of clothes and shredding apart her flesh. She screamed in agonizing, white-hot pain as his acidic saliva seared her tender muscles.

_Oh nonononono-_

_Stop._

_STOP!_

**_SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!_**

The Hollow's tongue sliced in half and thick blood exploded outwards like a flailing curtain. He roared, reluctantly dropping a now limp Chizuru to the ground. A blur of blue and white darted into the air, catching her against its chest so they impacted the pavement together. The blur absorbed enough of the shock to keep her from breaking any other part of body, although her wrist looked a little out of place.

Chizuru stirred again when the blur – no, not a blur, but rather a strange man, wearing a white uniform with oceanic blue hair, and a series of bones resting outside his jaw – flipped over, setting her down against the ruined asphalt.

"Shit, you're a real mess. Freaking weak-ass humans."

Chizuru gagged as fluid dripped into her lungs. Her breaths came as painful gasps and she struggled to get into a better position, but the bone-faced man forced her back down (which didn't take much, given the state she was in).

"Calm down," he coerced, "I know it hurts, but trust me it's easier to breathe this way."

"I-I find that h-hard t-to believe," the girl choked out, shuddering as another wave of pain racked her tattered body. "I…I'm s-so tired…"

"Don't fall asleep," he hissed, slapping her on the cheek. "You'll die. Unless that's what you want. Doesn't do me any favors any way you look at it." When Chizuru didn't reply the man merely exhaled an exasperated sigh. "Whatever. Go on, give up your pathetic life. I couldn't care less."

_Me? Weak?_

_Pathetic?_

_Y-you're wrong!_

**_YOU'RE WRONG!_**

She forced her arm up to find his vest collar, angry (at him, the monster, her broken body) and belittled with fear, but the darkness was creeping into her vision like banshee fingers. Blood cascaded down her torso and pooled out across the road. She was defeated. And there was nothing she could do about it anyway. This pavement, a road only four blocks from the comfort of her home, was where she was going to **die**.

The mysterious man's sapphire eyes studied her for a beat longer.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The Hollow shrieked, its limp, split tongue flailing about aimlessly. "ARRANCAR BASTARD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND SHIT OUT YOUR BONES!"

The mean dressed in white rose to his feet and faced it, his solid glare held steady. "Do you really think I haven't heard that one before?" He reached for his sword's hilt, unsheathing it with a menacing, metallic hiss. "I've seen uglier than you under Szayel Aporro's command!" The slender blade slid along his palm, allowing rivulets of crimson blood to trickle down his arm. A cerulean orb formed at the tip of his fingers. "And much stronger, too."

The Hollow's eyes went wide, recognizing the attack as Gran Ray Cero.

But it didn't have time to process a response because the blast obliterated it _and_ the rest of the street, leaving nothing but broken buildings, leveled sidewalks, and crumpled vehicles. The air was singed with energy; the edges of the Arrancar's hand burned from the power.

Chizuru gasped again, finally allowing the darkness to claim her.

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep. _

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Chizuru awoke to a familiar noise – she couldn't quite place her finger on it just yet, mostly out of the fact that her brain couldn't process any of her memories let alone remember how to lift her limbs. She waited for the haze in her mind to scatter before she allowed her body to register her senses. Then she groaned as her conscious cleared and the blackness scattered from her vision like shadows startled by the light.

"It's about time. And to think I was actually ready to get us a casket and a lot."

Weary violet eyes fluttered open. At first everything was blurred together like she was staring through a fogged window pane, then the colors bled together, shifted and formed solid shapes; as her sense of sight returned she peered around the room. "Where… Wh-where am I…?"

"Your room."

Chizuru barely recognized the voice at first, but after a moment it abruptly registered. "Y-You…"

The man was no longer white like he had been before. Now he was clad in a dark shirt and leather jacket, green pants and gold-crested belt. He was reclined in a chair beside her bed, chin settled recumbently on his fist. He seemed a little bored, possibly from sitting around for too long (not that she really knew how long, exactly).

The obnoxious beeping continued, its intensity grating on the man's nerves. He glanced over at her alarm clock, which always went off at nine in the morning on weekends, like it was some kind of foreign object. "This thing is annoying." He pressed a button. Nothing. Pressed another. Nothing. Slammed his hand down and crumpled the whole thing in, forcing the beeping to stop. _Bingo_.

The girl struggled to sit up. Her body was sore, and the tender muscle still healing beneath her bloodied bandages stung with each movement. A firm grim caught her by her shoulder so suddenly she almost yelped in surprise.

"Calm the hell down," the adamant voice told her calmly, "I'm not gonna hurt you. That Hollow bastard beat me to the punch already. And I would simply hate to kick a woman while she's down."

"You're crude humor isn't appreciated right now."

The guy at her side huffed. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

Chizuru winced when the events of last night – or was it the night before? Damn, how long had she been out for? – rushed to the front of her brain from the dormant corners of her mind. She massaged her temples as they began to throb. "How long was I out for?"

"Only three days."

She exhaled an exasperated breath of relief and took another moment to let the memories settle before speaking again. "You… saved me."

"I know," he interjected, "I found you a half-dead, bloody heap on the side of the freakin' road. I simply had to step in and help."

She promptly nailed him square in the jaw with a kick that sent him sprawling backwards. Her cramped sides strained against the assault, but she effectively ignored it. "Who the hell are you anyway, you freaking weirdo?!"

"Name's Grimmjow Jagerjaques!" _Grimmjow _remarked, rubbing his now bruised chin. "And that's no way to thank someone after they saved your damn life."

The TV was on across her room on the nightstand. It was airing a report made about the incident from three days ago. The on-scene reporter was talking with a woman who's arm was in a cast. "You poor thing, getting caught up in that earthquake like that… We had a few casualties. I'm glad you survived."

Her memories now recalled everything she could have gone without remembering – the pain, the agonizing, gut-wrenching pain – and she turned a flaring stare to Grimmjow. "OK, what the hell do you want from me?"

Grimmjow scoffed. "What from you? Nothing." He reclined in the chair, folding one leg casually over the other. "I've been in Karakura Town for a few days and noticed you were friends with a kid named Ichigo Kurosaki. You are his friend, right?"

"Kind of." Her answer was flat, half truthful.

"Well, I owe the bastard a favor, and I figured saving your life was a good way of returning the gift without actually going anywhere near him." He sniggered after several seconds of silence. "But I also had to make sure you stayed alive. You practically came back from the brink of death, but since the closest thing to a doctor you have is me I wasn't sure you were ever going to wake up. You're one of the lucky ones. Not many survive a Hollow onslaught like that."

"Uh-huh…What did Ichigo ever do for you?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You're alright, I've done my job. I'm outta here."

"You're an Espada."

He visibly stiffened. Gradually he turned back to her and settled complacently in his seat. "You know about us then."

"Orihime told me the whole story when I asked, starting from the very beginning." She searched for her glasses under her pillow, where she usually left an extra pair since hers were missing. "About Ichigo being a Soul Reaper and how there was a huge fallout between two totally different dimensions and the Arrancar and Soul Society and all that other-world bullshit."

"And you believed her?"

"Orihime doesn't lie. And I saw Ichigo for myself shortly after my best friend went missing." Chizuru failed to find her glasses and reluctantly gave up. "Anyway, Orihime said an Espada had a number to identify their rank. I saw yours on your back when you took out that Hollow." She lowered her gaze to her fists clutching the comforter. "For a minute there I thought it was going to be the _last_ thing I ever saw."

Grimmjow opened his mouth but he couldn't actually think of anything to say in return. He decided to remain quiet.

"So…what happened to your other white clothes?"

"It's an artificial body." He tugged the jacket. "Snagged it from an old psychotic cohort of mine who was testing them out shortly before he died." _Fucking Szayel. Couldn't go a single day without asking if I wanted to volunteer for a dumbass experiement._

Chizuru flushed when she realized the only thing covering her up were thick layers of bandages. She decided to push the thought aside, especially since he was probably the one who removed all of her clothes, too. "I'm Chizuru Honsho. Thanks for saving me."

"Don't mention it. I fixed you up the best I could." He jabbed his finger. "But don't expect me to be so kind from now on. I'm only doing that asshole friend of yours a favor. Cross me and I'll punch out your heart through your back."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "I don't doubt it."

Grimmjow stretched and got up again, clearly lacking the intent to stick around any longer. "Alright, seriously this time, I'm going. You'll be fine without me."

"Stay."

His brow furrowed. "Why should I?"

Chizuru tossed off the blanket and swung her legs off the bed, wincing as her torso adjusted to moving again. "You don't have anywhere to go, do you? My way of saying thanks is opening my home to you for a little while."

Grimmjow frowned. "You live alone?"

"Yes. I get support from my parents who are away for months at a time on their excavation projects. Since I'm an only child I have plenty of money to throw around as I please. Supporting a '_friend in need'_ wouldn't even put a dent in my savings."

The Arrancar seemed perplexed by her offer, perhaps because he was trying to come up with an excuse to decline her advances, but his expression briskly flat-lined.

"You got anything to eat?"


End file.
